


Keeping Things Interesting

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Grandmother Wood Universe [3]
Category: LOTR RPS
Genre: Grandmother Wood Universe, M/M, christmas fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-28
Updated: 2010-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-07 14:58:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean and Elijah trim their tree and start a new Christmas tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Things Interesting

**Author's Note:**

> This was written to cap off Frodosweetstuff's Sean/Elijah Advent Calendar of 2008.
> 
> Part of my Grandmother Wood Universe.

A dozen boxes filled with colored lights, ornaments, tinsel and every other conceivable Christmas decoration littered the floor in front of the perfectly-shaped Balsam Fir tree that stood in the corner of our living room. Despite the heat, Elijah had insisted we make a fire, "for atmosphere," and I had to admit seeing the fireplace in use did make it feel a lot more like what most people consider a traditional Christmas.

I grew up in Los Angeles, so temperatures in the 70's during December are nothing new to me. Transplants enjoy the balmy breezes and sunshine when they first move here, but most of them get a real dose of culture shock when they experience their first California Christmas. When you're used to evergreens and snow for the holidays, palm trees and sand take some getting used to, but to me it's normal because it's all I've ever known.

Elijah's lucky, having known the best of both worlds. He still has fond memories of his early years in Iowa, with its freezing winters filled with ice and snow, but even though he's made California his home, Elijah still loves to celebrate Christmas like the Iowa boy he once was.

The artificial logs blazing in the fireplace and the Christmas carols playing on Elijah's docked iPod created the perfect soundtrack for our first official tree-trimming since I'd moved into his house. Elijah approached decorating the same way he did everything else, with a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. My own delight in our task matched his, and in an hour's time, all the boxes were empty and our Christmas tree was a thing of beauty.

Considering it a job well done and feeling extremely proud of what we'd accomplished, I stood back to admire our handiwork and declared, "It looks great, Lij, don't you think?"

"No, Irish," Elijah corrected, "I think it looks fucking awesome, but there's one more ornament I need to hang."

"Another ornament?" I protested. "I don't think there's enough room on this tree for another strand of tinsel, much less another ornament."

"Don't worry, I'll make room for it," Elijah said determinedly as he disappeared into the bedroom. I heard the sound of a drawer being opened and closed, and then he was back. "It just wouldn't be Christmas without this on the tree." Elijah held his treasure out to me, cautioning, "Be careful with it, okay? I've had it for a long time."

The ornament was made of colored glass, a smiling monkey with rounded limbs and a pipe cleaner tail. "I didn't know you collected Christmas ornaments," I said.

 

[ ](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v110/InkGypsy/?action=view&current=KeepingThingsInterestingMonkey.jpg)

 

"I don't, not really," Elijah replied, "but this one's special. My Mom gave it to me for Christmas when I was six. She says I was quite a handful at that age, a bundle of energy, and I really loved to climb on things. Trees, the jungle gym, furniture she thought I was too short to reach. I did it so much she starting calling me…" Elijah trailed off. "But you already know that story."

"Me and the rest of the world," I nodded, handing it back to him.

"I worry about that sometimes," Elijah said softly. He turned back to the tree, stretching to hang the ornament at the end of one of the higher branches.

"Worry about what?" I asked. When Elijah didn't answer, I put my hands on his hips and turned him around to face me. "Is something bothering you, Monkey?"

Elijah shook his head. "You'll think it's stupid."

"I doubt that, but why don't you tell me anyway."

"You called me Monkey."

I frowned at this unexpected reaction to my use of his childhood nickname. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would bother you."

"It doesn't, Seanie…" Elijah heaved a heavy sigh. "It's just that it's taken such a long time for us to get to this place in our relationship, and now that we're finally together, a real couple, we should be learning all the little things about each other the way other couples do. But there's nothing left for you to learn about me. Every single, insignificant detail of my life is common knowledge. You can find out anything you want to know on any fan site. I guess I'm just afraid that if you know everything about me now when we're just starting out, you might get bored with me." He half-turned away from me, obviously embarrassed by the admission. "I told you it was stupid."

My hands still on his hips, I moved to the sofa, dragging Elijah along with me and pulling him down onto my lap when I sat down. "It's not stupid, Elijah, and it's not only your life the public has total access to. My life's as much of an open book to fans as yours is. We were in three of the most successful films of all time. When you get that kind of worldwide exposure, full disclosure comes with the territory. There's nothing you don't know about me either, plus I'm coming into this relationship with a lot more baggage than you are. I'm bringing along an ex-wife and three children."

"Ally, Lizzie and Bella aren't baggage," Elijah objected. "They're part of you and I love them. I couldn't love them more if they were my own. I know you had a life before we met, and I'm glad you got married when you did. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have your girls. But Chris…" He hesitated, and an unexpected sadness came into his eyes.

"What is it, baby?" I asked.

Elijah bit his bottom lip. "I try not to be, but I know I'm always going to be jealous of her."

This confession took me completely by surprise. "You have no reason to be jealous, Elijah."

"Of course I do," Elijah insisted. "She was the love of your life. How can I compete with that?"

"You don't have to," I told him gently. "Chris is the mother of my children and she'll always have a special place in my heart, but you, Elwood…" I framed his face with my hands and looked directly into his blue incredible eyes. "_You_ are the love of my life."

The corners of Elijah's mouth turned up in a smile so sweet he would have stolen my heart if I hadn't already lost it to him on the day we met. "And you're the love of _my_ life," he said. "Just in case you were wondering."

"Well I'm glad we got that settled." I kissed the tip of his nose. "Now neither of us has to worry." At Elijah's puzzled expression I asked, "What? You didn't think your familiarity breeds boredom theory might go both ways? Since I have no secrets left for you to discover either, who's to say you wouldn't end up getting bored with me first?"

From the look on his face, it was obvious that this possibility had never occurred to Elijah, but he appeared to be considering it now. "We have to make sure that never happens, Sean. We need to work really hard to keep things between us interesting so neither of us will ever get bored with the other." His eyes darkened, and I watched his expression suddenly go from sweet to smoldering. "And I can't think of a better time to start doing that then right now."

Elijah abruptly changed position and managed to push me down onto my back, then straddling my middle, pulled my sweater over my head and tossed it on the floor. He went to work on my pants next, undoing my belt and unzipping my fly. It was necessary for him to get up from the sofa so he could get them all the way off, and while I could have helped, I just lay back and enjoyed letting him undress me. After he'd gotten me completely naked, Elijah quickly peeled off his shirt, jeans and boxers and climbed back on top of me, lowering his body down onto mine and wrapping himself around me.

"Mmmmmm, that feels wonderful," I sighed when Elijah nuzzled my neck. My sigh quickly became a moan as his talented fingers found my nipples and began to tease them.

"You like that, do you?" Elijah asked playfully.

"I do," I answered, even though my erection digging into his hip should have told Elijah his question was a rhetorical one. I used my greater weight to shift his body slightly in an attempt to ease my discomfort. "In fact," I added, "I think we should make this part of our tree-trimming celebration every year."

Elijah cocked his head. "I like that idea," he decided, "but it has to be private, just between us, something that's ours alone." He poked his index finger into the middle of my chest. "I swear, Irish, if I read about _'Sean and Elijah's Secret Christmas Ritual'_ on the internet six months from now..."

"If they find out, it won't be from me," I promised with a grin. "My lips are sealed."

"I hope you're speaking figuratively and not literally," Elijah said wryly, then captured my mouth for a deep and lingering kiss.

I'd never made love by the light of a Christmas tree before, and found it to be an incredibly romantic experience. I could tell Elijah had enjoyed it as much as I had, so when he insisted we do it again…and again, I was more than happy to oblige.

We finally gave in to fatigue during the early hours of the morning. Too tired to bother heading for the bedroom, we just stayed where we were, and with my body cradling his, Elijah was soon asleep. I lasted a little longer, and as I finally drifted off, I thought of all the Christmases he and I had to look forward to celebrating together in the long and happy life that lay ahead of us.


End file.
